Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 362 : What Must Be Done (5)
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
That evening, once Alon wrapped up his marathon speech exceeding three hours at the assembly.
“Whew—”
“Are you okay, my lord?”
“Yes.”
Responding to Evan's worry, Alon gave a nod.
Even though exhaustion hollowed out his eyes.
“Did you accomplish your goals?”
“More or less, yeah.”
“Hmph—no sane person would dismiss the Marquis's words.”
“Really?”
Evan didn't reply; instead, Basiliora emerged from the ring.
[Hmph, those idiots were clueless and panicking. Naturally, they'd heed you.]
“They appeared quite reluctant, though.”
[Humans are inherently greedy. They'll grasp at anything to dodge losses. It's predictable. Your friend the queen is the sole sharp one. The others are fools.]
Basiliora tsked while mocking the monarchs.
Alon concurred silently, but he grasped their standpoint too.
The world teetered on ruin's edge, yet they remained rulers of realms.
Naturally, they'd weigh the consequences.
While Alon pondered, Evan interjected.
“By the way, my lord, purely curious—do you truly require the kings' aid?”
“What do you mean?”
“Most frontline troops from the Allied Kingdoms respond to summons, right?”
“The rank-and-file soldiers don't, though?”
“Do we even need regular soldiers?”
Evan questioned doubtfully, “From earlier glimpses, any normal trooper would fall to one blow...”
Alon nodded in agreement.
Evan had a point.
Against the Sins, raw personal might was key.
Common soldiers risked hindering more than helping.
Nevertheless, aware of this—
Alon had joined the summit to muster armies.
The cause was straightforward.
This foe was the Sin of Wrath.
“They're essential.”
“...Truly?”
“Absolutely. Particularly now.”
Alon explained, reflecting on Wrath's essence.
“Oh, and did you disseminate the message?”
“To the rest? I've notified the whole Information Guild. For safety, I had Magrina reach out to Historia and Ryanga too.”
Alon nodded at the update and whispered.
“Hope they convene soon.”
His order to Evan involved calling forth every key faction.
Victory over this Sin demanded maximum forces.
Suddenly, Alon recalled the conference chamber's vision.
Ashtalon, transformed into utter inferno.
The ruin shocked even him, but one minor solace emerged.
Based on his intel—
Fully roused, the Sin of Wrath would rampage across realms, massacring folk and stacking their remains into peaks.
Those corpse heaps would amplify Wrath's might.
Thus, greater the death toll, mightier it grew.
Hence, Alon sensed slight relief that Wrath halted post-Ashtalon.
Still, curiosity gnawed at him.
He knew Sins varied in behavior.
But not like Sloth—
Wrath thrived on endless rampage and ruin.
Its corpse mounds fueled its strength.
Upon hearing of Ashtalon's doom, Alon had chuckled bitterly.
Should Wrath maintain that insane pace henceforth—
Halting it would prove near impossible for Alon.
Yet mere hours after appearing—
Post-Ashtalon's devastation, Wrath stirred no more.
As though declaring, “Sufficient.”
Or convinced it was.
This perplexed Alon deeply.
Other Sins deviated from predictions too.
But Wrath baffled most.
Unlike others, whose stillness held logic—
Wrath existed to charge, demolish, incinerate all upon readiness.
Yet it lurked silent.
Alon shook his head eventually.
For the moment, Wrath's motives eluded him.
He couldn't fathom Eliban's Sin transformation either.
Alon pictured Eliban.
His mind held that radiant, joyful grin.
But the Eliban in the orb...
Despite reports, Alon had rejected inwardly that Eliban became a Sin.
He dismissed it as rumor.
After all, Eliban.
Yet witnessing via orb—
Denial shattered.
No refutation availed; reality stared back.
Eliban was indeed a Sin.
Alon hadn't known him long.
Few encounters over recent years.
Still, the sensation lingered.
Due to Eliban's Psychedelia hero status?
No.
Because he'd be Alon's ultimate foe?
No.
Eliban embodied untainted virtue.
Alon held that conviction.
Peerless—a painted legend, in game or reality.
If true...
This current Eliban—
Had Alon forged him inadvertently?
“My lord?”
Evan's call yanked him back.
“Yes?”
“Um... something bad occur?”
“Why think that?”
“You... scowled fiercely.”
Unaware, Alon touched his cheek.
Sure enough, his face had shifted noticeably.
“Had I?”
“Yeah, a new expression for you...”
Worry tinged Evan's tone.
Alon sighed, rubbing throbbing temples.
Time to cease brooding.
He stood up.
“Where to, my lord?”
Evan queried, weariness etching his features.
He'd piloted the carriage sans sleep to arrive timely.
Noting Evan's state, Alon proceeded solo.
“To Heinkel. Rest up.”
He aimed to review the initiated strategy.
***
The Illanef Empire's Guardian Weapon — the Sin (罪惡)
Rine stepped into the Eternal Library's Forbidden Section anew.
She furrowed her brow, baffled by the text.
Previously, forbidden volumes had taught her about Sins.
Myriad enigmas persisted, yet she'd gained insights.
But this newly found tome's mere two lines clashed utterly with prior Eternal Library lore.
“The Sleeper birthed the Sins.”
Rine knew scant details on the Sleeper.
Only that it was once a True Mage.
Not even its existence's span.
Yet this sparse claim—“Sleeper spawned Sins”—undermined all her learnings.
She dismissed it swiftly.
Eternal Library records were infallible truth.
Falsehoods couldn't persist here.
Thus, both her knowledges held validity.
She lingered confused.
Once mind settled, reading resumed.
Then—
“...Ah.”
A soft breath slipped out, insight dawning.
The slim volume sufficed to clarify doubts.
In essence—
“Illanef Empire forged Sins but never unleashed them.”
That resolved it.
Illanef birthed Sins, yet withheld deployment.
Eventually, Sleeper claimed and roused them.
Contradiction lifted, Rine continued.
Little remained, but she devoured cautiously.
Further revelations: Sins' prowess.
Fitting the Pluto-forger empire, which Rine scarcely mastered—
A Sin in flawless vessel union, fully realized, wielded unimaginable might.
She briefly pondered Pluto's match.
But negated promptly.
Pluto eluded her full command.
No Sin perfection witnessed.
Thus, strength unmeasurable.
Even so, she surmised—
Pluto might falter too.
After all, Sins toppled Illanef.
Rine murmured unwittingly.
Pluto remained mysterious.
Summonable, but wielding unknown.
Knowledge fragmentary, unassemblable.
Yet grim hypothesis resisted acceptance.
Pluto's vast power resonated.
Still, perfect Sin fusion as described—Pluto might strain.
“Hm…?”
Mid-thought, odd discord struck Rine.
A nagging itch mentally—overlooked detail.
Thorn-like throat prickle, discomforting.
Recall evaded.
She shrugged, read on.
Book's close arrived.
Minimal further insight.
Curiously, despite origin claim, creation purpose omitted.
One odd inference gleaned:
That sufficed.
Notably, the concluding line:
Reviewing it reignited bewilderment.
Prior déjà vu intensified unpleasantly.
Staring, ruminating—
“...!”
Insight flashed.
Mind aligned.
Illanef Empire fell not to Sins.
Rine's eyes flared wide.
Deeper perplexity gripped her.
More grasped—yet fresh quandary arose.
Library affirmed Illanef's enemy-induced demise.
Previously unquestioned.
Assumed “enemy” meant Sins.
But undeployed pre-fall—
Who razed the Pluto-and-Sins-creator Illanef Empire?
Rine sank into silent contemplation.